In medical situations, some type of restraint for patients is often needed. The amount of restraint necessary, however, typically depends on several factors such as the part of the body needing restraining, the nature of the medical problem, any violent nature of the patient, and strength of the patient. Each of these factors, and more, contribute to deciding how much movement of the patient should be restricted.
For example, confused or disoriented patients who might otherwise leave the health care facility without authorization, or cause harm to themselves or to others, must be confined, either to their beds or to their rooms. Additionally, patients may at times be required to keep their limbs fairly immobile in order for a certain treatment to be successful. Further, with certain patients, restraints are necessary to prevent the patient from having access to medical tubes or other medical apparatus which can be easily pulled out of the body if the patient is not restrained from doing so.
Unfortunately, many of the restraints available today are uncomfortable and unnecessarily confining. Often they do not allow any flexibility in movement. For example, patients may be placed into a tight straightjacket where arm movement is impossible. Or they may be strapped to their beds so tightly that again, any movement is impossible. With these devices, circulation of the immobilized limbs may be impaired, thereby resulting in injury and damage rather than prevention of injury.
Additionally, when the patient is completely immobilized, it is often offensive, degrading, and uncomfortable to the patient. It is also very uncomfortable and traumatic for the relatives and friends of the patient to see the patient harnessed so tightly that normal movement is impossible. The hospital experience, already disturbing, becomes even more so from the sight of distasteful and degrading restraints.
In attempts to solve these problems, devices have been developed which attempt to provide some flexibility for the patient. Typically, the devices consist of straps which at one end encircle a patient's limb, and at the other end is attached to a fixed object such as a bedpost or chair. The length of the strap allows for a limited range of movement. However, these devices still cause discomfort and injury to the patients. When the patient tries to make quick or hard movements past the defined range, the restrained limb is suddenly stopped, and a harsh jarring force is felt against the limb. When the limb being restrained is already injured, the injurious jarring effect is amplified.
Additionally, continuous hard pulling movements against the restraining device may cause a loosening of the device, which may eventually allow the device to become accidentally removed from the patient.
Another problem with the restraint devices used today is the inconvenience of engaging and disengaging the restraints. With the usual strap-type retaining device, buckles or knots are used in order to secure the ends in place around the limbs and around the fixed objects. Because of the inherent awkwardness of buckles and knots, engagement and disengagement of these devices tend to be complicated and time consuming. In emergencies, the straps cannot be easily removed or applied. During the length of time needed for application or removal, injury to the patient could result.
Therefore, several devices were developed which provided more simple methods of release. For example, simple clasping mechanisms were used which could be easily and quickly engaged and disengaged with little time and effort. However, although with these devices the health care worker was able to more easily apply and remove the restraints, unfortunately, the patients were also able to do so. When the devices were such that they allowed a limited range of movement, the patient was often able to reach the clasping mechanism and effect his or her own release.
One solution to this problem was to attach the device to a fixed object so that the clasping mechanism was not within the reach of the patient. For example, some devices attach to the underside of the bed so that the patient will not be able reach the clasping mechanism. However, this position is inconvenient and time consuming for the health care worker. Again, in emergencies, the device cannot be easily and quickly removed. Access of the health care worker to the release mechanism is impeded by the inconvenient and out of the way location of the releasing mechanism.
Another problem with the restraint devices used today is that they are of limited use. The patient is basically restricted to one position in his or her bed or chair. The device cannot be adjusted to provide only a minimal amount of restraint whereby movement around the room would still be possible. Additionally, their use is often complicated and causes an inefficient use of time.